On the 11th of July 2002
, members of Ultimatedallas.com put forward questions to the wonderful Charlene Tilton who
played Texas wild child Lucy Ewing in the hit show. Find out below what Charlene had to
say plus a few added comments from her puppy Charlie!
Interviewer
: Hi Charlene
Charlene :
Hi darling, how are you?
Interviewer
: I'm fine thank you. Members of Ultimate Dallas Site have so many questions for you, so
thank you so much for doing this.
Charlene:
Absolutely, thank you, my pleasure.
Interviewer
: Ok lets begin.
Jenillee in
LA asks "Jenille in LA asks How did you get into acting? How did you get your part on
Dallas? What did you feel when you found out and were your family supportive?"
Charlene :
That's a big question. Ever since I can remember thinking, my earliest thoughts are
wanting to be an actress. From a very young age I was always doing plays and local
community theater and things like that and taking singing lessons and dancing lessons. In
high school I was in the theater Arts department so that's how I got into acting. How I
got into Dallas is I read in a magazine called `Drama Log`, I read the synopsis of the
show and the description of the character and when I read Lucy I said "That's my
part, I have to play her". So I snuck in because they wouldn't see me, so I snuck in
everyday for two weeks until I finally got the part.
Interviewer
: and were your family supportive?
Charlene :
Yes. It was basically my mother and I. I'm an only child and never knew my father so it
was just my mother and I and yes she was very supportive.
Listen
here
Pauline in
Glasgow asks "What was it like as a 17 year old starting out in her career on Dallas,
and how supportive were the cast?"
Charlene:
Well 17 was very young, however I had lived on my own since I was 15. Yes the cast were
very supportive, all of them, they were very protective and loving towards me. Also at a
young age I was fortunate to be with such an incredible group of people because they
taught me really great work ethics and I had to be professional and they expected that
from me. They were always very proud and told me so.
Pauline
also asks "What advice would you give to a teenager starting out in Hollywood, and do
you actively encourage your daughter Cherish??"
Charlene :
I encourage Cherish very much and we are doing a play together right now 'Tell Veronica'
and we were in that together and I am producing it and she is wonderful. She has a great
voice, great dancer and is a wonderful actress. My advice for any teenager or anyone is
study study study, read read read.
Listen
here
Patrick in
Texas asks "what is your all-time favorite Dallas episode?"
Charlene :
I think where this boy she is engaged to, Kit Mainwaring, where JR wants them together so
there can be a merger but Kit turned out to be gay and so it was very devastating for poor
Lucy and I loved that episode. It was a very good episode.
Jimmy in
Utah asks "What was the reaction to the episode where Lucy finds out Kit is
gay?"
Charlene :
Well personally I got a great reaction from the Industry, Emmy consideration and other
awards. But keep in mind that was a long time ago, way before Ellen and any of these other
shows and that was handing a subject that had never really been broached on Prime time
television before. Dallas really pushed the envelope in certain areas , I think they
handled it beautifully and tastefully. It was great.
Listen
here
Interviewer
: I speak to Camille Marchetta who wrote that episode and its also her favorite.
Charlene:
Really? great mine too.
Pamela in
London asks "Good luck in your new play
On the net we have had group discussions regarding Lucys fling with Ray Krebbs. Many
people think Ray took advantage of a young girl. Looking back do you think this story line
was daring and at the time did the producers take into account the age difference? Nobody
seemed to mention that Lucy was young and Ray was about twice her age.
Charlene :
It was very daring at the time because Ray Krebbs and Lucy had scenes that were very
provocative for the time and considering the age difference, I was 17 but looked about 12,
I looked so young, he said when he first met me "I thought she was going to be
older" (laughs) Its one of those things Dallas did and handled nicely. I guess in a
way he did take advantage because when you have a beautiful young girl throwing herself at
an older man its really up to the older man to say "honey I can't do that".
Listen here
Jackie from
California asks " Were you shocked when it was revealed Ray was Lucy's uncle. Why was
there no mention of the Hayloft romp?"
Charlene :
At that point it was something we all thought "ugh oh we won't mention this again
because that's a little sick, maybe its a Southern thing (laughs)
Tilly from
New Zealand asks "How did you hear the news of Jim Davis's death was it a shock for
the whole cast?"
Charlene :
It wasn't a shock. We knew it was imminent and I feel very fortunate that I went to his
house and I got to spend a day with him, the last day he was actually conscious, I was
devastated. I'm still very close to his wife Blanche, I call her grandma and I see her all
the time. She is a fabulous lady and Jim was an amazing person and was like a granddad for
me.
Hafsteinn
in Iceland asks "What was the most difficult episode
of Dallas for you to act?"
Charlene: I
think it was my wedding to Mitch only because on the way to the studio I got into a
horrific car accident, someone ploughed into me and totaled my car and they wanted to take
me to hospital in an ambulance and I said "I can't I have to get to the set, we've
got 200 extras, a crane for camera shots, I have to show up". So my godmother
actually lived a few blocks away so I called her to take me to the set but I had a walking
concussion and was in a lot of pain and was a mess. So I didn't feel too good the day I
married Mitch but the show must go on.
Listen here
Charles in
Oakdale, Minnesota asks " First off, I love you in the character of Lucy and I loved
it when you guested on "Knots Landing". Was there ever an opportunity for you to
cross over to "Knots Landing"? If so, why didn't you take the opportunity?
Charlene :
I would of liked it but Knots Landing took on a life of its own and they moved forward if
you know what I mean but it was fun when I did it.
Patrick C
from Nacogdoches, Texas asks "What was it like working with a guy like Mr.
Hagman?"
Charlene :
He's the greatest. He really is. He and his wife Maj are two of the nicest people on the
planet. Larry really was the glue that kept us all together, off camera as well as on, he
was always having parties and get togethers and when we were on location he was just so
much fun. He helped us all bond as a unit and I have to attribute the huge success to
Dallas because we had this chemistry but it was really Larry Hagman keeping us all
together and we really grew to love each other He's a really amazing person and one of the
most amazing actors , the fact he was never nominated for an Emmy award is such a shock
for me , its an outrage.
Listen
here
Interviewer
: Why is that?
Charlene :
At the time I think because Dallas was such a huge popular phenomena that the industry
itself didn't know how to deal with us or take us seriously. We had great actors on the
show , we had Larry Hagman, we had Barbara Bel Geddes one of America's première theater
actresses, Jim Davis and all of us, really very good. It was easy to dismiss it as night
time soap opera but the performances were excellent.
Bobby in PA
asks "How did the success of Dallas affect you?"
Charlene :
Well we were so busy while we were shooting that it was hard to keep it all together, (dog
barks) , that's my dog barking, I think he has to go to the bathroom, oh no (laughs), how
do you tell a puppy he's got to wait for my interview to be over, honestly Charlie Im a
big star (laughs), he doesn't care. Now where we, I kind of realized after the fact what a
success Dallas was, we were so busy doing it, so into it that I didn't realize how
powerful and amazing it was until after it was over.
Pamela in
UK also asks "Can you tell us a secret about the show"
Charlene :
No real secret but sometimes the press liked to say there were feuds on the set between
Linda, Victoria and I but none of that was true.
April_J in
Portugal asks I hear the whole cast got on like one big happy family. Is that true. I have
worked many places and people can't stand one another.
Charlene:
We all truly loved each other and when it first started Larry really brought us all
together, he really set the tone.
Jock Og
asks "Who did you most enjoy working with on Dallas?"
Charlene :
Jock!! (laughs) All these names, you have Pam, Bobby (laughs).
Interviewer
: yep. These are all the names they use on the site.
Charlene:
(laughs) I enjoyed working with all of them, getting to work with Barbara on the episode
where she had the mastectomy, that was an emotional episode and she was so wonderful. I
loved the times Lucy stood up to JR.
Listen here
Danny James
in Essex asks "Dear Charlene, When Did You Last See Any Of The Dallas Gang i.e.
Larry, Patrick, Linda ect?"
Charlene :
At Larry's 70th birthday party, that was great. Victoria was there, unfortunately Linda
and Patrick were not there but everyone else was.
Sam in Utah
asks "Which one of Lucy's lovers was your favorite? I like Mickey Trotter
Charlene :
I enjoyed working with all the guys I played opposite, there were so many (laughs). Lucy
was always quite busy that way.
Interviewer:
The actor who played Mickey sadly died
Charlene :
Yes he did unfortunately, way too young, that broke my heart, we were really good friends.
Billy Tyner
in Los Angeles asks " What I felt was a major mistake of the Dallas writers in the
later seasons was to try to separate your character of Lucy and her plot lines from the
plot lines that incorporated the cast as a whole. How did you feel about the awful neglect
of such great potential that gradually separated your story lines from the main lives of
the family characters?
Charlene :
Well I agree with you Billy. I think that is totally true
Pauline in
Glasgow asks "What was it like to work with BBG, did you learn from her, and do you
still keep in touch?"
Charlene: I
have not talked to Barbara in years unfortunately but I learned a lot from her. I learned
a lot as an actress because she could do more without saying a word, she didn't have to
say anything, you were riveted to her. On a personal note when Dallas first started and it
was just a mini series, we stayed at this horrible hotel called the 'Royal Coach' and we
nicknamed it the 'Royal Roach' because it had cockroaches the size of coffee cups,
everything is bigger in Texas, including the roaches. Her motel room was across from mine
so I would go and literally sit at her feet and listen to all her theater stories and one
time I was in her room and her phone rang and I said "let me answer it" and I
said "good evening this is Miss Bel Geddes suite" and the voice said "May I
speak to Barbara please?" and I said "Who may I say is calling" and the
voice said "Tell her it's Tennessee". I screamed and she asked what's wrong and
I said "Its god its god, it's Tennessee Williams". She was the original Maggie
in 'Cat on a hot tin roof' and she knew Tennessee very well so that was very exciting.
Listen here
Mike from
Erie, PA asks "What was the reasoning behind Lucy's leaving for the second time? It
didn't seem to be story line dictated... did you choose to leave or was it the producers'
decision again? You certainly were missed that last season when so few regulars were still
on in a midst of new characters. Best of luck in all you do!"
Charlene :
Kind of mutual decision. They weren't really utilizing my character, they didn't know
quite what to do with me so unfortunately I left.
Tobias in
Canada asks "Do you have memorabilia?"
Charlene:
Everyone asks me that and I have to tell you I don't have a lot, I don't save things like
that, I don't even have copies of the episodes that I would love to have just so my
daughter Cherish could see some of them, she has seen some and she will say "Mom I
can't believe you were doing that" I will say "hey it's called acting don't you
even think about it" (laughs)
James
Strawn from Wildomar, California asks " Have you been approached to be in this
possible new series or the next reunion movie?"
Charlene :
I haven't and I was really disappointed and hurt that I was not asked to be in the two
reunions. From what I understand from talking to Larry and different people there will not
be a 3rd reunion. If there is I would love to do it. Now I'm old enough to play Miss Ellie
(laughs)
Interviewer
: Apparently Patrick Duffy was just on Entertainment Tonight and said he and Larry were
writing a 3rd script
Charlene:
Excellent, wow hopefully they will remember me, "remember Lucy the cute little blonde
that ran around".
Interviewer:
So many people on the site don't understand why in a Reunion not many people were there to
`reunite` (laughs)
Charlene :
Well there were other people, they just did not write me in and Lucy was such an integral
part of the show I think I should of been there, but that is just my opinion.
Interviewer
: I spoke to Ken Kercheval and he was unhappy about being excluded from the 2nd movie.
Charlene:
He was asked for the first, so better off than I was (laughs)
Mary Anne
from CA asks "Can you tell us about Tell Veronica? What part do you play? You look so
different from Lucy Ewing?"
Charlene: I
play a wacky chat show hostess, and its so much fun. My character Veronica is a
combination of Oprah, Rosie, Sally Jesy Raphael, Jenny Jones and Jerry Springer, a
combination of all those people and I think my job is to save the world. I put two
dysfunctional families together, the first one is a white trash family and the second is a
mob family, its very funny. Like I said Cherish is in the show as well.
Listen here
Leigh
Romanello from Tulsa,OK asks " Do you prefer plays to TV? "
Charlene: I
love doing theater, I just like a good script and I think 'Tell Veronica' is a very good
script, written by my producing partner Tony Jerris, he wrote it and we are producing it
together and we are having a great time.
Interviewer
: It starts on the 19th?
Charlene:
We open July 19th at the Hudson theater in Hollywood and that is on Santa Monica Boulavard
and Hudson. It's running for 6 weeks on Friday, Saturday and Sunday. Friday and Saturday
at eight and Sunday at seven.
Manny in
Newcastle asks "I have seen Linda Gray and Patrick Duffy on stage in London. Did they
inspire you to tread the boards and will you be coming to London. I think you would be
great"
Charlene: I
would love to come to London with my play. Did they inspire me? No, I was in London before
them, I did `Who's afraid of Virginia Woolf' in Guilford , so I think I inspired them
(laughs).
Lottie
Inaya in Middleton asks "Have you got anything planned when Tell Veronica ends? What
other projects have you got lined up?"
Charlene:
Well my producing partner Tony and I have a movie in the works. I should also point out
that in our play we have Lin Shaye who played in the movie 'Something about Mary' with
Cameron Diaz, she played the crazy sun tanned lady. She's done a lot of great work and she
actually plays Cherish's mother in the show.
Interviewer
: What is it like working alongside your daughter?
Charlene:
Well we work very well together, we actually did a production of `42nd Street` together a
year and half ago, we work very well together but when we work we are actors. But she is
very professional, she got mad at me today for not knowing my lines (laughs)
Graeme in
New York asks "Do you surf the net and what sites? Have you been to Charlene Tilton
online?
Charlene:No,
I'm a computer geek, when I want to check a website somebody has to do it for me. I barely
know how to check my Email.
Interviewer
: Charlene Tilton Online is a site dedicated to your good self. Its a very good site.
Charlene:
Well that's very nice, oh good.
Interviewer:
Well thank you Charlene. That is about it.
Charlene:
Thank you so much, you're a doll. Well I do know this site (Ultimate Dallas Site), because
I've been there and I do know this site is a wonderful one.
Listen here
Interviewer
: You have seen it?
Charlene:
Yes I have, you guys are doing great things over there.
Thank you
to Charlene Tilton for taking questions and thanks to everyone who submitted a question
for Charlene. You must now all go and see Charlenes new play and check out the web site
for details http://www.tellveronica.com
. Make sure to keep checking back to Ultimate Dallas as we bring you the latest from
Charlene and Tell Veronica.
Charlene
Tilton was Interviewed by Colin Hunter
Interview
transcribed by Shannon Matthews
Photos
Courtesy of UltimateDallas.Com and Mike Pingel
Special
Thanks to:
Charlene
Tilton, Mike Pingel and all the fans who asked questions and continue to be dedicated
users of Ultimate Dallas.
